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‘Once.’

‘Then he will live,’ Sabik signs, and Luca looks disappointed. I feel a similar emotion, but it’s not worth thinking about now. We have bigger problems. We are safe in this moment, but I do not think it will last, and any hope I had of remaining here to lead my people is now gone.

“May I speak freely?” Sabik asks and signs.

Luca shrugs. ‘Voice. I’m exhausted. Eissa can fill me in later.’

I turn to him. ‘Are you sure? I can open my mind for you again.’

He shakes his head. ‘No. I love you for what you did. It took away so much of my fear, but my brain is exhausted. If there’s any important information, sign it. But I’d really like to lie down.’

My precious, delicate human. I wrap my tail around him and then lift him into my arms, kissing him as I walk him to the edge of the cave. The xinhar curls around him, cradling him, and I see his entire body finally relax.

‘How long can we stay here?’ he asks, his fingers moving softly in front of his chest.

‘I don’t know. It’s very likely we must return to Earth soon.’

He nods and blinks slowly and heavily. ‘You saved my life.’

‘You saved mine,’ I offer back. I lean in and kiss him once more before turning back to Sabik, who is waiting patiently.

A moment of silence stretches between us, then Sabik says, “The commander of the Vorthex will be here soon. I have received a message from him regarding the intelligence he received in the Vyastil capital.”

My hearts kick up. “I assume it’s to do with the attack and the escape?”

“Yes.” Sabik lets out a small sigh. “I have sent my team back into hiding. The Vyastil will never be able to find us if we do not wish to be found, but it’s time to plan your exit. Rathyn is on his way.”

“He is not under suspicion, then?”

“I’m sure he is,” Sabik says with a soft laugh, “but he has been ordered to capture you and bring you to the palace caves to await another trial. Reports are that Jyrion is severely injured and is currently undergoing treatment.”

“And Kori?” I ask. When Sabik frowns, I add, “Jyrion’s human.” It feels so strange to call him that—wrong, and there is still a lingering grief that has taken new shape in my mind.

“I do not know.”

I let all of this sink in. None of it is surprising information. “I will not be able to help in Erethar any longer. Rathyn has agreed to step up and take my place. We need more time to gather allies within the Vyastil army, and we need more time to convince the Outlanders that they are capable of rising up.”

Sabik nods. “This was not in the plan, but we can work with it. Xamydos will have more information for you when he arrives.”

I know the name. I have spoken with Commander Xamydos over messages, but we have never met in person. I have, in fact, only spoken face-to-face with one Vorthex, but he is earthbound and wingless.

Almost as if on cue, there’s a pulse in the room, and from around the dark corner in the cave, a figure emerges. Vorthex look so much like Vyastil it’s easy to confuse us if you don’t see the wings. Their span is massive, and while they can tuck them behind their backs, it sets them apart from us.

Xamydos is taller than the average Vorthex, his shoulders broader, his claws longer. His skin is a rich blue-green, his hair pure white, his eyes similar to ours, but his ears are longer, and the smallest horns protrude on either side of his forehead, betraying his age.

From my studies, I know only Vorthex who have reached their majority grow horns. The Vyastil had them generations upon generations ago, but around the time we started lacking the nutrients that human cum provides us, we lost them in our evolutionary cycle.

Xamydos stares at me as he walks forward, then he stops and bows his head once. “You are Eissa of the North Hills?”

“I am. Commander Xamydos?”

He presses his palm to his chest, then drops it. “My business here is urgent. Prince Jyrion is currently being treated for damage to his left heart. Once he has recovered, my contact informs me he will most likely be interrupting all portal usage between Erethar and Earth. We do not have much time if you wish to make an escape.”

Panic skitters up my spine. “I see. Then I may not have time to speak with Rathyn⁠—”

“I am here.”

I nearly faint with relief as Rathyn appears, and he is not alone. He has Everest beside him, Dhoryn and Lucie at his heels, and then another shadow reveals itself to be Vyrian. My hackles rise, though I know that the Vyastil prince is no threat to me.